[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 52 - Night Dragon

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:26 am

I don't really like the fog cell, let's try the other door outside.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 11:18 am

Yeah, "aura of evil" probably means another fight, let's not set it free, and try the other door.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:16 pm

Other door.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 1:20 pm

A short flight of stone steps lies beyond the door; descending them, you come to a single, narrow passage which you judge leads northwards. The passage is deserted and eerily silent, but it is lit by torches burning and crackling in wall sconces every ten metres or so. At the end of the passage is a flight of steps, this time leading upwards to a trapdoor. You have a very strong intuition of evil lurking behind this door; if you still wish to press onwards, lift the trapdoor and turn to 57. If you decide to beat a retreat from Carnex, turn to 75.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 16/22
Luck 7/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 3
Time Track 41

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex.

Death count: 1
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:19 pm

Well, we've come this far. Press on.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 2:33 pm

We're not turning back after all of this.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:46 am

Trapdoors are like secret doors in gamebooks. Never leave them unopened.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:41 am

With an effort, you push open a manhole cover to find yourself in a large, semicircular storeroom; you guess that you must have emerged inside a tower. The store has nothing of use to you - just wooden planks, empty sacks, simple toold and the like. A swoft search reveals a secret door as the only exit from this room, so you open it to see what lies beyond. Turn to 26.

Incidentally, going to the towers would lead us to the next section as well, the difference is that you need one of:

High Priest's name
Tattooing ink/needle + grey-robed man's tattoos (we have this)

To get past the guards or you get rumbled.

This way bypasses all that bullshit, but we would have missed the bag of holding if we had gone this way from the start.

And yes, there was a horrible monster in the cell.

You stand at the foot of the central tower; a single set of stairs leads upwards. A door stands ajar to one side of you, and you can see a scribe at his desk furiously scribbling on some papers, arguing with a pair of burly, armoured guards. You don't want to waste time with underlings, so you race up the stairs. The next floor up is entirely different; the stairs enter at once into a high-ceilinged chamber packed with benches, tables, desks, bookcases, strange moving models of the heavens hanging from the veiling, wall charts, the skeletons of animals, and much other clutter. There is a single set of stairs opposite you, but in the middle of the room is a black-robed man who turns to face you as you enter. You have disturbed his work, and his face is furious as he shouts at you; then his eyes widen, and you realize he knows you are an intruder! The black-robed man swiftly waves his hands, casting a spell. Test your Skill. If you are successful, you strike the wizard and disrupt his spell; turn to 45. If you fail, turn to 63.

We get an 11. Dragoncockblock!

The snarling black-robed spellcaster draws a poisoned knife to defend himself; the venom is very toxic and, for the first three Attack Rounds, if he strikes you the poison will inflict an extra 3 points of damage to your Stamina. After three Attack Rounds, the venom will have dripped from the blade.

BLACK WIZARD Skill 9 Stamina 11

If you win, you're still in danger. The door atop the stairs ahead of you opens and a black-robed figure peers around the door towards you; then he slams the door shut again and. You must move swiftly now. If you want to flee and leave the town, turn to 75. If you want to ascend the stairs and get at the man you've just seen, you should do so swiftly; if you want to perform any actions first (drinking a Potion, using Poison Antidote, etc.) you must make a list of how many actions you're going to take. If you make three or fewer, turn to 181. If you make four or more, turn to 126.

That's some nasty poison right dere. Still, FIGHT!

Dirk 19 (13/22) Black Assassin 13 (9/11)
Dirk 16 (13/22) Black Assassin 15 (7/11)
Dirk 18 (13/22) Black Assassin 13 (5/11)
Dirk 20 (13/22) Black Assassin 16 (3/11)
Dirk 16 (11/22) Black Assassin 17 (3/11)
Dirk 18 (11/22) Black Assassin 15 (1/11)
Dirk 24 (11/22) Black Assassin 20 (-1/11, killed)

We don't really have any actions to take, and I don't think we're fleeing, so ONWARDS!

You rush up the stairs and throw open the door to the highest chamber of the tower. Across the room stands a snarling High Priest, shrouded in a black miasma of magical energy; one hand holds a scimitar glowing with brilliant, crackling blue light, the other holds a short, slim wooden wand which glows fiery and bright. You have no time to take in the hideous decoration of the room, with its mummified bodies, skeletal figures, vast status of Dragons and similar horrors; you're fighting for your life!

In each of the first four Attack Rounds, the High Priest will discharge his crackling magical wand at you. This is in addition to his scimitar attack. In each round you must Test your Skill, adding 3 to the number rolled. If you fail, you will be struck by a magical bolt and lose 4 points of Stamina. In addition, the evil scimitar the High Priest uses inflicts 3 points of damage to your Stamina with each successful hit. You are up against a truly terrifying enemy.

HIGH PRIEST Skill 11 Stamina 15

If you win, your Nemesis Score is reduced by 2 points, for you have slain the High Priest himself, and his cult will be too disorganized to pursue or harass you (though his Stalkers may still be prowling the Icefinger Mountains). Add 1 to your Time Track. You now have a choice: if you want to leave Carnex immediately, you'll be able to get to safety; turn to 75. If you want to stay and explore this chamber for treasure, if only briefly, turn to 315.

This is one vicious motherfucker right here. May the odds be ever in our favor!

Dirk 17 (11/22) High Priest 14 (11/15) Skill Test 5+3 (pass) Luck Test 4 (pass)
Dirk 19 (7/22) High Priest 17 (10/15) Skill Test 10+3 (fail) Luck Test 8 (fail)
Dirk 18 (3/22) High Priest 17 (6/15) Skill Test 10+3 (fail) Luck Test 3 (pass)
Dirk 21 (-4/22) High Priest 22 (6/15) Skill Test 9+3 (fail)

…or not.

So, how shall we resolve THIS death? Reroll until success? Recant prior life decisions for Provisions?

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 11/22
Luck 7/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 3
Time Track 41

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex.

Death count: 2
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:12 am

Some of these motherfuckers are ridiculously powerful. SKILL 9 STAMINA 11 with +3 damage/hit on the first 3 rounds for a bodyguard is pretty bad but that SKILL 11 STAMINA 15 high priest with a hard to dodge extra attack that deals 4(!) extra damage for the first 4 rounds, and a basic attack of 3 STAMINA would be a mean end boss.

We really should run, but I kind of want to kill this mofo out of spite so we can cut him open and see WTF the author was smoking.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:15 am

For what it's worth, I ended up rolling a victory on the 6th try...

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:51 am

Well, since you've already rolled it, let's not waste it! Kill the priest!

And yeah, Keith Martin's books tend to take the Jackson/Livingstone way in terms of difficulty around Book 46.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:52 am

Kill the priest and marry his stuff. I really hope we get to loot his sword.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:56 am

In an alternate universe...

Dirk 16 (7/22) High Priest 18 (15/15) Skill Test 6 (pass) Luck Test 9 (fail)
Dirk 17 (3/22) High Priest 17 (15/15) Skill Test 11 (fail)
Dirk 18 (-5/22) High Priest 21 (15/15) Skill Test 11 (fail) Luck Test 8 (fail)

...Dirk dies...

Dirk 23 (7/22) High Priest 15 (11/15) Skill Test 11 (fail) Luck Test 6 (pass)
Dirk 19 (0/22) High Priest 20 (11/15) Skill Test 9 (fail) Luck Test 8 (fail)

...and dies...

Dirk 21 (7/22) High Priest 18 (14/15) Skill Test 10 (fail) Luck Test 9 (fail)
Dirk 16 (0/22) High Priest 19 (14/15) Skill Test 12 (fail) Luck Test 8 (fail)

...and dies...

Dirk 15 (4/22) High Priest 17 (15/15) Skill Test 10 (fail) Luck Test 9 (fail)
Dirk 16 (-3/22) High Priest 19 (10/15) Skill Test 9 (fail)

...and dies...

Dirk 18 (11/22) High Priest 17 (14/15) Skill Test 8 (pass) Luck Test 8 (fail)
Dirk 22 (11/22) High Priest 22 (14/15) Skill Test 7 (pass)
Dirk 17 (11/22) High Priest 15 (10/15) Skill Test 5 (pass) Luck Test 4 (pass)
Dirk 18 (11/22) High Priest 17 (8/15) Skill Test 7 (pass)
Dirk 23 (11/22) High Priest 20 (6/15)
Dirk 21 (11/22) High Priest 20 (4/15)
Dirk 18 (11/22) High Priest 18 (4/15)
Dirk 22 (11/22) High Priest 17 (2/15)
Dirk 27 (11/22) High Priest 16 (0/15, defeated)

...and dragoncocks the High Priest in a flawless victory! (That was a really lucky string of rolls)

Anyway.

You grab a handful of items, avoiding the evil wand and scimitar the High Priest used. You may take a Potion of Stamina, which you can drink at any time (except during combats); when drunk, it will restore lost Stamina points equal to half your Initial Stamina (round fractions up). You can also take a book labelled Tome of the Reaches; while most of it is gobbledegook to you, there are three sections on runes which look important (and which you can understand). Make a note of these; a chapter on "Ward Runes" starts on page 44 of the book; a chapter on "Riddling" starts on page 191, a section on "Dragon Runes" starts on page 229. Finally, you snatch a handful of papers from the desk and glance through them briefly. The important notes give you pause for thought! "The Bone Furnace is the essential thing for toughening the Ancient, the Chillshadows increase his magical powers; the Blazing Crusher makes him strong. All are now in place, and his Awakening cannot now be stopped..." You don't waste time reading the paeans of praise to the Night Dragon and the insane evil that the High Priest has scribbled down. You've got to get out of here. If you have inged Boots, you can glide down from the top of the tower and escape the town; turn to 75 (you may also use a Potion of Invisibility, if you have one, to escape safely). If you have neither item, you've got to run for your life and hope you will be able to elude pursuers. You must Test your Luck: if you are Lucky, turn to 75, but if you are Unlucky, turn to 126.

Ah, this might be tricky. We have a Luck of 5 after our battle with the High Priest. We get...

5

...Lucky, and give the mad cultists the slip! (failure leads to horrible death)

After your exploits in the town of Carnex, it will not be safe for you to return! Too many people will have seen you, and the guards will be ready for you should you come back. make a note that you cannot now return to Carnex even if you are offered the chance to do so in later paragraphs. Now, do you have the Tome of the Reaches? If you do, you will have noted three page numbers. Add these numbers together to get a three figure number. Multiply the last two digits by the first one, and turn to that paragraph (for example, if the number was 515 you would turn to paragraph 75). Otherwise, turn to 370.

Oh, you mean this Tome. 44 + 191 + 229 = 464. 4 x 64 = 256.

If you have already met the Loremaster, it is time to face the Night Dragon; you know which paragraph to turn to! Otherwise, you are startled to find a large, purring, ginger-gold cat sitting at your feet - and even more startled when it starts to talk to you! "Killed the High Priest, hmmm? Not a bad start at all. You could go far, you know. Oh, stop gawping at me. It's time you got some real help on this quest. Come on: time grows short and the Ancient grows stronger every day. Let's be off!" The world grows opaque and hazy around you as you feel yourself slipping away to somewhere entirely unknown... turn to 266.

Can we has cheezburger?

You rise from your knees, groggy and goddy from the effects of the powerful magic which has brought you here. Your feline companion is sitting at the other side of a large study, reading a small leather-bound tome. Seated behind a grand mahogany desk and looking at you quizzically is a slim, tall, young man ith a well-groomed black beard and piercing, steely-blue eyes. He puts down a heavy crystal ball and looks over you appraisingly. "So this is the hero come to save Allansia." he says drily. "You'd better come with me. This way." You hardly have time to take in the clutter of books, charts, glowing magic and Cheelah knows what else in this room before your host has taken you by the hand and guided you through a door to a dining room. The man introduces himself as the Loremaster, and he dismisses any questions you may have by plying you with food and sparkling spring water while he tells you why you have been brought here. The refreshment has a wonderful effect on you: restore your Stamina and Luck to their Initial values! You are only too ready to listen to the blue-robed savant tell you how he may be able to help you. Turn to 393.

"There is little I can add to what the Dragon Conclave has already told you. However, I have studied all I could concerning the Night Dragon, and I have observed his awakening from the Dreamtime. Indeed, I am a guardian of that time, if you like; my magic has slowed his emergence from his own phantasms and shadows. Now my magic will no longer suffice to hold him, not after these long centuries." For a moment, the man looks old and weary; he may appear young, but you realize that he is older than any mortal ever to have walked Titan's many lands. "I know that within the strange hidden illusions of Dreamtime there are many magics which you could call upon to assist you. Because I never sleep or dream - I am a guardian, and guardians do not rest - I do not know where the magic lies, nor do I know all the nightmare guardians which the Night Dragon has invented in his own dreams. He cannot banish the magic you might take, since that is born of the dreams and aspirations of heroes, but he can place terrors to bar your path to them. And I must warn you that Dreamtime does not function as normal time does. Should you enter it and go seeking help within, you may succeed in the blink of an eyelid in Titan's time - or you may be dreaming for hours. Do not enter the Dreamtime lightly."

If, after hearing this, you decide that you would rather resume your quest at once, turn to 281. If you wish to seek whatever help you may in the Dreamtime, turn to 6.

Sweet dreams are made of these / Who am I to disagree...

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 42

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Potion of Stamina
Tome of the Reaches

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 6:34 am

Any help we can get is welcome.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:02 am

Nice loot. At least he's still pretty generous with the rewards.....once you get past the nail-bitingly difficult fights.

Side quests should lead to more loot! Dream on!

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:40 am

You confess that you need all the help you can get on your great quest, and the Loremaster nods, perhaps a little sadly. "So many dangers for a mortal to face. No one, perhaps, has ever faced such a challenge since the Godswar itself. Beware: a projection of the Night Dragon itself may wander in Dreamtime and threaten you; don't get too greedy in taking the magic there. Well then, let us make preparation." he ushers you into a sumptuously decorated lounge with a huge, wonderfullycomfortable couch which you sink down on very readily! The lore master fills a golden goblet with silvery, sparkling liquid from a silver decanter and bids you drink it. "Drink, sleep and dream, my brave friend. he says softly. Greet the dreams and destroy the nightmares!" You drink, and you fall asleep very swiftly.

Soon, your senses feel fully alive and alert; you are astonished to find that your body seems to be only semi-substantial, glowing with a silvery hue; as you looks down, you see that you are floating above your physical body which lies peacefully on the couch.

In your present state, you possess all your armor, weapons and equipment, and these can all be used normally (if you consume items, such as Potions, Provisions and so on, these will be lost to you when you wake from your current Dreamtime state). Likewise, any items you take from Dreamtime will become real when you awaken, and you may add them to your Adventure Sheet. If you are killed (your Stamina is reduced to zero or below) during your wanderings in Dreamtime, you will not die but you will instantly return to your physical body and wake up; if this happens, turn to 281 immediately. Now you drift down, deeper down… turn to 20.

Freaky freaky.

You stand in a misty chamber with six different passageways leading away from it. Within the Dreamtime you should always select a passageway of a color you have not previously explored, save for the red and silver passages, which you can explore at any time (keep track of the color of the passages you have already travelled along). Everything here seems part-illusion, part-real, strangely substantial and intangible at the same time; but you soon get used to this. Each of the passages is tinted with a particular hue; the blue one also has reflective qualities which are rather unnerving for some reason you aren't sure of. Each time you return to this chamber, you must roll one die and subtract 1 from the number rolled (to get a total between 0 and 5); add this total to your Time Track. When you wish to end your adventures in Dreamtime by waking, turn to 31 (you may do this only when you return to this chamber!) Now,which of the passageways will you follow?

The blue passage? (turn to 56)
The green passage? (turn to 318)
The white passage? (turn to 218)
The yellow passage? (turn to 292)
The grey passage? (turn to 95)
The black passage? (turn to 395)
The silver passage? (turn to 146)

We are at the hub, it seems.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 42

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Potion of Stamina
Tome of the Reaches

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:56 am

That was.......random.

Silver, I guess.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:14 pm

Sure, silver.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:57 pm

You have wandered into a maze of passages which confuse and disorientate you. Roll 1 die; if you roll 4 or 5, you emerge from the maze safely; turn to 20. If you roll a 6, turn to 366. If you roll 3 or below, add 1 to your Time Track and roll the die again until you do roll 4 or higher. If you wish you can spend a Luck point to add 1 to the number rolled on the die, but you can turn to 366 only if you actually roll a 6 on the die.

We roll, and get a...

6

Well now.

Something very bizarre is happening; you wander into a complex confluence of passages where hanging hourglasses filled with multi-coloured sand are flowing backward; the sand is flowing into the top half from thr bottom! You may subtract 1 from your Time Track! Turn to 20 as you wander, somewhat bemused, into the chamber you first arrived in.

Lolwut.

You stand in a misty chamber with six different passageways leading away from it. Within the Dreamtime you should always select a passageway of a color you have not previously explored, save for the red and silver passages, which you can explore at any time (keep track of the color of the passages you have already travelled along). Everything here seems part-illusion, part-real, strangely substantial and intangible at the same time; but you soon get used to this. Each of the passages is tinted with a particular hue; the blue one also has reflective qualities which are rather unnerving for some reason you aren't sure of. Each time you return to this chamber, you must roll one die and subtract 1 from the number rolled (to get a total between 0 and 5); add this total to your Time Track. When you wish to end your adventures in Dreamtime by waking, turn to 31 (you may do this only when you return to this chamber!) Now,which of the passageways will you follow?

The blue passage? (turn to 56)
The green passage? (turn to 318)
The white passage? (turn to 218)
The yellow passage? (turn to 292)
The grey passage? (turn to 95)
The black passage? (turn to 395)
The silver passage? (turn to 146)

We add 2 to our Time Track; choose again.

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 22/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 43

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Potion of Stamina
Tome of the Reaches

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:26 pm

Check out the blue one this time.

Sirocco · Post by **Sirocco** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:25 pm

Blue.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:35 pm

Blue sounds as good as any other option.

Silent Wayfarer · Post by **Silent Wayfarer** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:46 pm

The blue passage pulsates with light as you glide along it; you feel as if you are walking on air and suddenly a door opens in the passageway before you. You open it and find yourself staring into a great maze of mirrors. A strong, tall figure steps out in front of you; it is a reflection of yourself. The warrior bears down upon you with weapon drawn! You must fight yourself! Your opponent has the same Skill and Stamina scores as you do, but you have some advantages. Your mirror image enemy has no magic items, and he has no Luck points. Finally, you can distract your alter ego during one Attack Round of the combat you face, and during that attack round you may perform one action - a free hit on your opponent (deduct 2 points from his Stamina), drink a Potion, etc. If you win this combat, turn to 304 immediately.

This guy is probably the nastiest opponent in the book barring the High Priest and the Night Dragon itself. FIGHT!

Dirk 19 (20/22) Krid 20 (22/22)
Dirk 20 (20/22) Krid 19 (20/22)
Dirk 19 (20/22) Krid 19 (20/22)
Dirk 19 (20/22) Krid 18 (18/22)
Dirk 17 (20/22) Krid 17 (18/22)
Dirk 21 (20/22) Krid 15 (16/22)
Dirk 16 (18/22) Krid 18 (16/22)
Dirk 17 (16/22) Krid 18 (16/22)
Dirk 14 (14/22) Krid 15 (16/22)
Dirk 22 (14/22) Krid 18 (14/22)
Dirk 24 (14/22) Krid 18 (12/22)
Dirk 23 (14/22) Krid 16 (10/22)
Dirk 17 (14/22) Krid 14 (8/22)
Dirk 19 (14/22) Krid 18 (6/22)
Dirk 19 (14/22) Krid 14 (4/22)
Dirk 20 (14/22) Krid 17 (2/22)
Dirk 23 (14/22) Krid 18 (0/22, destroyed!)

That was pretty rough.

The mirrors before you are crackling with sparks of light and a shadowy form is rising up from one of them. To either side of you a passageway suddenly opens up - one red, one silver. Everything is a roar of confusion and unpredictability as a horrific, four-armed, four-faced humanoid steps out of a mirror in front of you and advances to fight you! Will you:

Fight the Mirror Demon? (Turn to 381)
Flee down the red passage? (Turn to 123)
Flee down the silver passage? (Turn to 146)

Choose!

Dirk el Dragoncock

Skill 11 (+1 from Magic Shield)
Stamina 14/22
Luck 12/12

Honour 2
Nemesis 1
Time Track 43

Gear:
Sword
Leather armor
Magic Shield
Lantern
Backpack
0/17 Provisions
4 golds
Silver key
Rope
Longbow and arrows
Spiked boots
Ice pick
Viewing lens
Carved ivory polar bear
Steel mirror
Flask of Walrus Oil
Silver plaque with "Endimion" carved onto it
Smoke powder
Bag of Holding
Tattooing ink and needle
Potion of Stamina
Tome of the Reaches

Special:
20-stranded spider's web tattoo with a dragon's skull in it, seen on paragraph 55.
Shield Number: 70
Scalmagzaprin might be someone important, probably in the towers of Carnex was the High Priest of the dragon cult and is now a corpse.
Tome of the Reaches: Ward Runes section starts on page 44
Tome of the Reaches: Riddling section starts on page 191
Tome of the Reaches: Dragon Runes section starts on page 229
Cannot return to Carnex, what a loss.

Death count: 6
- Eating rohypnol biscuits and being sacrificed to the nameless cult of evil
- Slain by the High Priest and his OP panoply x5

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:53 am

In FF books, Mirror Demons typically has a vital weakness in that it gets destroyed if we smash the mirror. The option isn't given here, but I think it might come up if we choose to fight (I'm taking a gamble here). Fight!

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:09 am

Fight the Mirror Demon, because with this many nasties guarding it the blue room is probably Loot Central.